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Lyra Six
The Lyra Six (ライラシックス) is a Japanese 6×6 folder made by Fuji Kōgaku from 1937. All models are horizontal folders, with a body copied on the Ikonta 6×6. The Lyra Six and Lyra Six II The original model The original model, introduced in 1937 The first advertisement mentioned in , p. 342, is dated April 1937. The same source says that the Lyra Six was featured in the new products column of the July 1937 issue of Asahi Camera. , has no body release. It has an advance knob at the top left and an accessory shoe at the right end of the top plate. The folding optical finder is very slightly offset to the left and the folding bed release is to the right. The back is hinged to the right and the back latch is covered by a leather handle. The front leather is embossed LYRA on the left and SIX on the right. An advertisement dated September 1937 Published in Asahi Camera, reproduced in , p. 100, in two parts. says that the camera is dual-format, taking both 6×6 and 4.5×6 exposures. The shutter is a Super Lyra providing T, B, 1–300 speeds and a choice of three lenses is given: * Terionar f/4.5 ( ); * Terionar f/3.5 ( ); * Terionar f/2.9 ( ). It seems that all three lens options have an 80mm focal length, unlike the later Lyra Six III. See the description of the actual examples observed. Moreover, says 80mm for all three lenses on p. 342. From the end of 1937, the Super Lyra shutter was replaced by the Fujikō A (T, B, 1–300) and Fujikō B (T, B, 5–250). This type of shutter is also found on the New Semi Lyra and Lyrax. The shutter plate is almost identical to the Super Lyra with a FUJIKō marking at the top. An advertisement dated September 1938 Published in Asahi Camera. still displays a picture of this model. It seems that the camera has the strap lugs and new back latch described below for the Lyra Six II, but the folding bed release is still to the right. All three lens variants are offered but the shutter type is not mentioned and the camera now seems to take 6×6cm exposures only. The Lyra Six II The Lyra Six II (ライラシックスⅡ型) was introduced at the end of 1938. says that it differs by the body release protruding in front of the top plate and that it was offered with the Fujikō A shutter and all three lens options. , p. 342. Advertisements dated August 1939 Published in Asahi Camera, reproduced in , p. 101. and October 1939 Published in Asahi Camera, reproduced in this page of the Heiki Seikatsu website. only offer this model with the f/2.9 lens for , along with the less expensive versions of the Lyra Six III. The shutter is not specified but it is probably a Fujikō A. Other changes are noticeable in the August 1939 advertising picture. There is a new type of back latch, consisting of a long sliding bar with no leather handle. Strap lugs are added on each side of the body. The folding bed release has moved to the left of the viewfinder. It seems that this model only exists in single format. The f/2.9 is confirmed to have an 80mm focal length, and it seems that the f/3.5 and f/4.5 lenses are marked the same, unlike later models. The 80/2.9 lens has been observed on a camera offered for sale, and a lens marked 80mm with a lesser aperture has been observed in a picture of. Moreover, says 80mm for all three lenses on p. 342. The shutter plate is marked SUPER LYRA at the top and FUJIKŌGAKU at the bottom. Actual examples Only two examples of these models have been observed. The first one Example observed for sale at a dealer. has a dual format finder, the old back latch and the folding bed release to the right. The lens is a Terionar 80/2.9 and the shutter a Super Lyra (T, B, 1–300). These features correspond to a 1937 original model, but there is the same body release as the Lyra Six II. The second one Picture found in a Korean website. has the new back latch, strap lugs and the folding bed release to the right. The lens is marked 80mm with f/4.5 or f/3.5 aperture and the shutter is a Fujikō A. There is no shutter release and it could correspond to a late 1938 original model. The Lyra Six III The Lyra Six III (ライラシックスⅢ型) has an advance key in place of the knob, a body release that has a more usual location on the top plate and a decorative knob in place of the accessory shoe. It also has a bulkier folding optical finder and different strap lugs. All these changes make it closer to the Ikonta 6×6, of which it is nearly a plain copy. The Lyra Six III has a single red window in the middle of the back, protected by a horizontally sliding cover. The back leather is embossed LYRA SIX, with both words separated by the red window. These features were perhaps present on earlier models as well, but no picture has yet been found displaying the back. The folding bed leather is embossed with the FUJI KōGAKU logo, and FUJI KOGAKU logos (with no macron) are engraved in both folding struts. This model was introduced in 1939. , p. 342. Advertisements dated May and August 1939 Both published in Asahi Camera, reproduced in , p. 101. offer four lens and shutter combinations: * Terionar f:4.5, Fujikō B ( ); * Terionar f:3.5, Fujikō B ( ); * Terionar f:4.5, Fujikō A ( ); * Terionar f:3.5, Fujikō A ( ). also mentions a variant with Terionar f/2.9 lens and Fujikō A shutter, having the same body release as the Lyra Six II, but this has not been confirmed. , p. 342. The Lyra Six F The Lyra Six F (ライラシックスＦ型) is similar to the Lyra Six III with a new Fujikō F 1–200 shutter. The shutter plate is sometimes black with white markings and sometimes yellowish with black markings. These markings are almost the same as on the previous Fujikō shutters, except that FUJIKō at the top is written in two parts: FUJ and IKō, with an arrow between both. This shutter is also found on the Semi Lyra F, Lyrax F and Lyra Flex F. This model was introduced at the end of 1940. , p. 342, says that it was featured in the new products column of the October 1940 issue of Asahi Camera, together with the Semi Lyra F. An advertisement dated May 1941 Published in Shashin Bunka, reproduced in , p. 100. offers two variants: * Terionar f:4.5 lens ( ); * Terionar f:3.5 lens ( ). This variant is pictured in Omoide no supuringu-kamera-ten, p. 15. The camera was advertised until 1942. , p. 342. Possible postwar model It seems that a new model of the Lyra Six was made after the war. Such a camera has been observed twice. It is pictured in this page at Japan Family Camera and has also been observed in an eBay auction. It has a top housing containing the viewfinder in the middle and supporting an accessory shoe to the left. The advance knob is at the left end of the top housing and it is engraved with a red arrow. The folding bed release is just to the front of the accessory shoe and the shutter release is to right, next to a decorative knob. The camera is dual format, taking 6×6 and 4.5×6 exposures. There are two red windows in the back, protected by horizontally sliding covers respectively marked 4.5X6 and 6X6. The folding struts are more incurved than those of the prewar models. The top housing and maybe the folding struts have a LYRA FUJIKŌ logo, styled like the prewar FUJI KŌGAKU logo. The same logo is embossed in the ever-ready case, while the folding bed leather is embossed with the older FUJI KOGAKU logo. The back leather is embossed LYRA-SIX under the red windows. The lens is a front-cell focusing Terionar 80/3.5, marked LYRA Terionar 1:3.5 f=80mm. The lens is front-cell focusing and the distance ring is engraved in feet. The shutter is a Fujikō U giving B, 10–200 speeds, having a self-timer and synchonized via a PC post. It is marked FUJIKŌ-U on the speed rim. Notes Bibliography * Items 295–8. * P. 329 (pictures a Lyra Six F). * Omoide no supuringu-kamera-ten (思い出のスプリングカメラ展, Exhibition of beloved self-erecting cameras). Tokyo: JCII Camera Museum, 1992. (Exhibition catalogue, no ISBN number.) P. 15. Links In Japanese: * Lyra Six F at Otowa no ni-kan refu, identified by mistake as a Lyra Six III * Postwar Lyra Six at Japan Family Camera * Camera advertisements at the Heiki Seikatsu website, including an advertisement for the Lyrax and Lyra Six published in the October 1939 issue of Asahi Camera Category: Japanese 6x6 viewfinder folding Category: Fuji Kōgaku Category: L